File



NOV. 17, 1959 oss 2,912,986

FILE

Filed Dec. 3, 1956 INVENTOR. JACK MOSS ATTORNEY United States Patent FEEJack Moss, Dayton, Ohio Application December 3, 1956, Serial No. 625,914

1 Claim. (Cl. 129- 1) The present invention relates to files and moreparticularly to paper or bill files for oflice use, of the type whichutilizes resilient holding loops, U-shaped or arched members designed tobe inserted through holes or openings in papers to be filed.

Files of the above-mentioned types are generally made with two or moreloops or bows of wire or similar material, each set a predetermineddistance apart, and constructed to open or become disengaged for theinsertion of each loop through a perforation in an item which is to befiled.

In accordance with the present invention, a file of this type isprovided in which the document engaging loops or bows are easilyvariable or adjustable in size so as to accommodate greater or lessernumber of papers to be filed, and at the same time the file is soconstructed that the loops may be easily made available for insertion ofthe documents with simple and easy locking means provided for engagementof the loops in closed position. Additionally, means are provided foradjustment of the spacing of the loops in order to accommodate itemshaving a different spacing between perforations.

These and other objects of the invention are more fully described andillustrated in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a view in perspective of a file constructed in accordancewith this invention;

Fig. 2 is a view corresponding to that of Fig. 1 but with the sheetengaging members in open position;

Fig. 3 is a transverse view partly in cross-section taken along lines3-3 of Fig. 1; 1

Fig. 4 is a view in elevation taken from the bottom of Fig. l.

Positioned within and beneath base is an elongated spring member whichmay be normally linear, but is bent into a U-shaped member consisting ofclosed end portion 11 and arms 12 and 13 having open end. This springmember may be in the form of a closely coiled steel spring or in theform of a strip or other metal, or plastic, such as nylon, a principalrequisite being that the member shall be flexible, resilient and havingspring-like characteristics. Arms 12 and 13 project upward through anopening 14 in base 10, shown as a slot, although individually spacedholes or openings of other shapes may be provided. As shown in Fig. 2,each arm projects normally upward with the free ends of each exposed forinsertion through corresponding perforations in an item to be filed.After the item is inserted over these arms, each is then bent into theform of a loop, as shown in Fig. 1, with the free end being insertedinto opening 15 which, as illustrated, is in the form of a serratedslot. Due to the spring characteristics of the arms, each end pressesagainst the opening 15 and is retained in engagement therewith in theform of a loop or arch of the desired size, each loop being held inposition by the spring pressure of the end of the arm against the sidesof the opening. Positive means may also be provided for main- 2,912,986-.Patented NOv. 17,, .1959

'2 taining the ends in engagement, such as screw clamps, spring clipsorthe like. However, :suchp sitive means are not ordinarily required.

As shown'more particularly in Figs. 3 and 4, lateral adjustment of .thespacing of :theloo'ps is provided in order to accommodate a givenspacing of the openings in items to be filed. This adjustment isobtained by means of a screw member 16 having separate right andlefthanded screw portions 16a and 16b, which screw is inserted throughside walls 10a and 10b of base 10, as shown in Fig. 3. Each end portionof the spring member passes through openings 19 and 20 in blocks 17 and18 which are threaded and through which the screw is passed, so thatupon rotation of knob 21, arms 12 and 13 are drawn closer together orfurther apart as blocks 17 and 18 are moved parallelly by rotation ofthe respective screw portions. In view of the fact that openings 14 and15 are in the form of slots, a wide range of adjustment is permitted.

The size of each loop formed by arms 12 and 13 may easily be adjusted toaccommodate a varying number of items. For example, if it is desired toenlarge the loops, arms 12 and 13 are drawn forward through openings 19and 2t) in blocks 17 and 18, thus bringing closed end 11 closer to theblocks. This will enlarge the length of the arms which extend throughopening 14, and when these arms are bent to form loops by the insertionof the ends into opening 15, larger size loops are obtained. Similarly,when arms 12 and 13 are pushed through blocks 17 and 18 in the otherdirection, arms 12 and 13 which extend beyond opening 14- are shortened,providing smaller loops when the ends are inserted into opening 15.Thus, loops of any desired size may be instantaneously attained, asdesired. In this way, a readily adjustable and expansible file isprovided.

Where a predetermined fixed spacing is sufficient and no lateraladjustment is required, blocks 17 and 18 may be omitted, since all thatwould be required would be separate spaced openings in base 10 throughwhich arms 12 and 13 project, with the adjustment in the size loopsbeing made by drawing or pushing the arms of the flexible member throughsaid openings. At the same time, corresponding separate openings may beprovided in place of slot 15 for engaging the open ends of the loops. Asindicated above, while two loops are generally preferred, one or severalloops may be provided in the same manner.

It is to be understood that the above description is for purposes ofillustration only, and obvious modifications will occur to a personskilled in the art.

The inventor claims:

An arch filing device which comprises a single continuous elongatedflexible resilient spring member bent to form a closed loop end and apair of spaced arms with free ends, a base member, said loop end beingsupported in a horizontal position beneath said base member, means forslidably engaging each of said arms at an intermediate point removedfrom said end, said means comprising an opening in said base throughwhich said arms project, each of said arms being bent upward at saidintermediate point for insertion and removal of documents throughopenings therein through which the free ends of said arms may beintroduced, and means for detachably engaging each of said free endscomprising an opening in said base spaced from said opening at saidintermediate point said end engaging opening being spaced from saidintermediate opening by a distance less than the length of said arm fromthe point of intermediate engagement to its free end whereby onengagement of said free end each of said arms forms an arch, each ofsaid arches being held in position by the spring pressure of the end ofthe arm against said engaging opening, the height of each of saidthereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSSchmidmer Aug. 21, 1906 4 FOREIGN PATENTS Germany Jan. 24, 1907 GreatBritain June 9, 1921 Great Britain June 15, 1921 Great Britain Oct. 27,1921 Great Britain Aug. 15, 1923 Germany Nov. 1, 1928 Great Britain Jan.24, 1940

